Friday, February 28, 2014

I discovered this recipe the other day on Food.com, and MAN OH MAN am I glad I did!

Aside from the fact that this dish is definitely in my low-carb arena, I'd go as far to say that it's almost better than actual loaded mashed potatoes. Plus, it couldn't be any simpler to make.

First off, place 6-8 strips of uncooked bacon on a baking pan covered with tin foil. Place it in a cold oven, heat the oven to 400* and set a timer for 20 minutes. (P.S. this is the easiest, cleanest way I've found to cook bacon.. and it comes out perfectly cooked.)

While the bacon cooks, go ahead and combine into a large mixing bowl 2 1/2 cups of shredded or grated cauliflower (for this recipe, it's best to use a food processor so that the cauliflower has a more potato-like consistency) with 1 cup of sour cream (I used a little bit more than that) and half a package of shredded cheddar cheese. If you like, you can also add chives to the mix.

Once the bacon has cooked, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, go ahead and shred up half of the bacon into small pieces and add them into the mixture, stirring everything together really well. Once that's done, you can pour the mixture out into a greased baking pan. Go ahead and pour the rest of the package of shredded cheese and crumble the rest of the bacon to add on the top of the casserole.

Cook at 350* for about 20-25 minutes until it looks done.

And voilà. There you have it. Delicious loaded mashed faux-tato casserole.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Everyone wants the same thing- to be able to speak to someone and have their words, ideas, and opinions received and understood by the person to whom they're speaking.

It seems simple enough, but I'd like to point out that these types of exchanges have become more and more uncommon in our society.

Sure, we'll meet a friend for a drink and sit there listening while they drone on and on about their boyfriend problems or the new co-worker they can't stand. But are we really listening? Do we really hear what this person is saying? Or are we sitting there, pretending to give them our attention, while our minds are lost in thought?

I'd argue that more often than not, it's the latter.

I found several fantastic articles online regarding this concept-- in the psychology world, it's referred to as "Deep Listening". Most of these priciples are taught with a Buddhist mindset.

In The Art of Deep Listening, the writer describes the opposite of deep listening as "hasty listening", which is sometimes the only way we were taught to listen. He writes:

"Let’s start with the opposite of deep listening, which I call hasty listening. How often do you find yourself listening to someone else, or even your own thoughts and feelings, only to get to a point of action? You see humans have a voracious appetite for doing. We always need to be doing something. Otherwise, many of us hold the skewed belief that we are passive, not useful, and perhaps even invisible. I’ve seen and been in too many conversations wherein both parties are engaged in hasty listening, meaning the one is only listening to the other so that they can have their turn to be heard. Hasty listening is volatile and reactive. Often we latch onto one word, idea, or tone of voice that doesn’t sit well with us and immediately we must chime in. We must be heard. When we engage in hasty listening, the problem is not that we are not hearing the other person, it’s that we are not hearing ourselves."

In this article, Dr. Tara Brach gives a great example of how the absence of listening caused a rift in a family that was only able to be repaired once the family members learned to truly listen to each other and understand the unspoken motivation behind each other's words.

This article provides a practical approach to changing the way we listen to other people. In it, the author cautions against using the following tactics during a conversation in order to truly hear what someone else is saying:

Seeking to look good by asking clever questions, giving impressive facts, recalling times when you did something better and bigger!

Giving the other person ideas, suggestions or solutions to the subject that you are discussing. Bear in mind that if you do, then they will be your solutions, not theirs!

Attempting to control the conversation in any way.

Referring to any of your own experiences or feelings.

It seems like such a simple fix, doesn't it? All these things are common sense ways to truly shift your focus towards listening.

But we've become to accustomed to diverting the conversation back to our own experiences and beliefs that we do so subconsciously.

In the future, I'm going to make a true effort to institute deep listening into my conversations with other people. This is a sure way to not only improve your relationships with others, but to understand the world from a view unlike your own.

About Me

Hey y'all, thanks for stopping
by The Clarity Chase!
My husband and I live in a small town
in North Carolina with our two rescue mutts
and a baby on the way!
During the week I'm a contracts analyst for
the local health system, and on my time off I'm
a dedicated yogi, low-carb cook, avid reader,
part-time traveler and novice photographer.
I've been working on this blog in one capacity
or another since 2013, and it's always been a
wonderful way for me to connect with others!
I'm always open to comments, questions and
suggestions, so please don't be shy!
Feel free to tag along!